10 Things The Swiss Do Better Than Americans

Here are 10 things the Swiss do better than Americans.

Compared to the US, Switzerland has an incredibly long history. In that time, the nation and its people have made a number of truly notable cultural achievements.

Here are 10 things the Swiss do better than Americans.

Number 10. Stay neutral. Though the Swiss have an army, it hasn’t been sent to fight outside of the nation’s boundaries since 1815. As for defending against invasion, the armed force was last called for duty in the early 1870s. 

Number 9. Stave off poverty. In Switzerland just under 8% of the population lives below the poverty line. The US rate is nearly double, with a bit over 15% of citizens falling short of the threshold. 

Number 8. Make watches. Top quality materials, hand assembled movements, and attention to detail are among the many aspects of craftsmanship and, ultimately, performance that make Swiss watches so highly regarded. The US was considered a top maker from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, but since has largely abandoned the painstaking practice of crafting precision timepieces.

Number 7. Public transportation. While in the United States, transit by bus and train often comes with limited options and little enjoyment. Switzerland’s system offers travelers a much more comprehensive array of destinations. Further, with myriad routes that zip through some of the best scenery the nation has to offer, the journey becomes a thrill of its own. 

Number 6. Keep violent crime rates low. According to Worldbank, intentional homicides occur in Switzerland at an annual rate of 1 per 100,000 people. In the US, the figure is roughly 5 times that. 

Number 5. Taking weekends off. Americans have fallen into an often-punishing work schedule, which has a tendency to bleed into Saturdays and even Sundays. Not so in Switzerland. The work culture there favors diligence through the week followed by a couple days to unwind and recharge. 

Number 4. Keep the air clean. Carbon dioxide emissions in the European nation are estimated at roughly 5 tons per capita. Here is the US, they’re triple that. 

Number 3. Groundbreaking achievements in pocketknives. That’s right, we’re talking about the one-tool-does-it-all Swiss Army Knife. The first one was made in 1891 shortly its the inventor learned Germany was the blade supplier for the Swiss Army. They were first introduced to the US by American soldiers returning home from the Second World War. 

Number 2. Attempt to make movies multi-sensory experiences. Seeing and hearing movies is great, but Swiss osmologist Hans Laube wanted people to catch a whiff of them, too. In 1960, he debuted Smell-O-Vision, a system that spread story-appropriate aromas through the theater. 

Number 1. Eat chocolate. Make no mistake, Americans eat plenty of it. About 4 ¼ pounds per person annually, in fact. However, the average citizen of Switzerland eats closer to 9 pounds a year, making them the chocolate-eating champions of the world. 

What’s your favorite thing about the Swiss?